Starfall now 99.9% Useless as a talent

#0 - Nov. 7, 2008, 3:38 p.m.

We can no longer use this defensively in PVP against stealthies.

We can no longer use it offensively in PvP effectively as it stops when CC'ed still, and is on a 3min cd.

We can not use it 75% of PvE AOE situations, as it will pull extras.

It is no longer useful in the other 25% of PvE AOE situations as the mana-on-crit mechanic is gone, and hurricane (baseline) yields higher DPS.

The damage against a single target is less than a moonfire, and since it no longer gains mana from its own crits against single target either, it is double the mana cost of moonfire.

(The new 3.0.3 nerfs are underlined... and it should be noted that it does not work against stealthies due to a BUG with STEALTH, not with starfall... but GC has alluded to letting this BUG stay in the game) EDIT: He responded in this thread to clarify the position. It is not intended to be a flare. That's fine, but it does remove the last piece of its functionality, and that's the problem we're discussing.

The only thing that still 0.1% works, is at 4 talent points invested, it has a RNG stun component on a 3minute cooldown, ASSUMING you dont get cc'ed while it is active, as that deactivates the ability. Most classes with stuns have them on much more forgiving cooldowns, and they are not based off RNG.

We can no longer use this ability effectively in PvP or PvE.

How are they going to buff this talent, now that both its saving graces have been nerfed?

Ghostcrawler

#57 - Nov. 7, 2008, 5:01 p.m.

We are still evaluating whether we like the change to the way Starfall works or not. I will say that Starfall was not designed as the Flare for druids.

Ghostcrawler

#479 - Nov. 8, 2008, 6:12 a.m.

Q u o t e:
GCs flip flopping is a toolesque sign of QQ on the part of a class that starts with an "R".

Well played. I now see the wisdom of your arguments. :)

Starfall is a new kind of spell. There really isn't anything else like it in the game, so comparisons to other kinds of spells may fall short. It's big. It works more like a buff than a channel. It moves with the caster. It targets enemies in the area, but then also does splash damage. It can't be dispelled, but the caster can be CC'd. It's just a new kind of spell.

And even if it was a lot more like Blizzard, that doesn't mean it has to have all the same properties. There is no rule that says AE spells break stealth or that stuns can cancel an unchanelled spell.